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JOURNAL
October 2007
FAVORITE FORGOTTEN HORROR MOVIES
While many of the classics are understandable favorites (“Halloween”--still a thrill after many viewings; “The Exorcist”--king of the devil movies; “Scream”--jump-out-of-your-seat scary; “Psycho”--the shower scene still shocks; and my all-time favorite, “The Blair Witch Project”--insidious chills on every level), there are some that you may have forgotten about or perhaps never heard of. I am a very subjective judge, just a guy who likes horror movies. There are several I haven’t seen, I’m sure. If you have a favorite that I haven’t mentioned, let me know so I can expand my library. In no special order, here are ten of my forgotten favorites. Happy viewing!
“Hostel”(2006): On first viewing, this may seem like just a blood-and-guts gorefest, but it has a deeper message: What kind of society have we become where we sink to this kind of baseness for a thrill? (You’ll have to watch to see what I’m talking about.) But who needs a message? This movie taps into the fear of being in a foreign country, being alone and not quite understanding what’s going on.
“Rosemary’s Baby” (1968): Poor Mia Farrow. Your heart just goes out to this poor woman who descends into paranoia, understandably, as she confronts the odd behavior and downright evil of those around her.
“The Vanishing” (1988): The American remake is okay, but go for this Dutch original. Completely original story about the disappearance of a woman at a rest stop and her husband’s obsessive search to find out what happened to her. He gets way more than he bargained for. Creepy!
“The Blob” (1958): The best of the campy 1950s monster flicks. Nowadays, you may have a few laughs watching it, but you’ll never forget it.
“Stir of Echoes” (1999): This film had the unfortunate timing to come out a few weeks after the blockbuster “The Sixth Sense.” This one’s better. Kevin Bacon plays a family man who gets hypnotized at a party and sees some very disturbing things that continue to haunt his dreams. Something sinister happened at his house and he digs for the answer . . .
“The Reincarnation of Peter Proud” (1973): For anybody who’s ever felt deja vu while visiting a place for the first time, this movie will have you believing in the possibility of reincarnation. Here, Peter is not only reincarnated, but as a new man returns to the scene of the crime in his past life. If anybody finds this on video or DVD, let me know.
“What Lies Beneath” (2000): A good old-fashioned ghost story. Michelle Pfeiffer becomes unhinged as she realizes a ghost is sending her a message--and danger is very close at hand. Harrison Ford goes against type as her husband.
“Flesh and Bone” (1993): Dennis Quaid plays a man haunted by a brutal childhood memory. He meets Meg Ryan and it all starts coming back to him. Chilling.
“The Shining” (1980): What could be scarier than being stuck on a snowy mountain in a haunted hotel with Jack Nicholson losing his mind and turning murderous? Shelly Duvall has that frightened deer look down pat.
“Frailty” (2002): This was probably too shocking to be a hit. Matthew McConaughey unravels the story of his childhood, in which his father forced him and his brother to rid the world of demons by way of axe murders in the barn. Absolutely horrifying!
Do we have any favorite Thanksgiving movies? Nah, didn’t think so!
What's Your Opinion?
KevScoHall@Verizon.net